(Communicated by COGAT - Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories)

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Maj. Gen. Yoav (Poly) Mordechai, has decided on promoting further civilian steps to assist the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

The main steps are allowing the transfer of 45 tractors for farmers, increasing the monthly quota for permits for merchants (from 3,000 to 5,000), increasing the daily number of merchants permitted to enter the West Bank and Israel from Gaza to engage in commerce (from 400 to 800), and expanding agricultural and industrial exports from Gaza, such as textile products, furniture, and more.

These steps are in addition to those implemented in October 2014, which included the increase in the number of permits issued to cross into the Gaza Strip to promote projects related to its reconstruction, and agricultural exports from Gaza to the West Bank - to date, over 2,600 tons of agricultural produce. Residents of the Gaza Strip have been allowed to travel abroad for academic studies. Medical teams have entered the West Bank and Jerusalem from Gaza for advanced training. Businessmen from Gaza have been permitted to enter the West Bank and Israel for commerce, as well as family visits for residents above the age of 60. Residents of the Gaza Strip have also been permitted to attend prayers at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
 
So far, as a part of the reconstruction mechanism, over 62,000 tons of construction supplies have entered the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom Crossing. In addition, 43,000 Gaza residents have purchased materials for the reconstruction of their homes, a process which is ongoing. Furthermore, 50 trucks and 15 buses have been transferred into the Gaza Strip.